This week's House

[yendi]

Wow. This might have been the worst episode since Sela Ward left the show. Hell, I think it might just be the worst episode, period. My wife already details many of the issues (don't click if you don't want spoilers and potential trigger issues), and does so better than I could. On top of the lazy writing in the A plotline, the B plotline (Cameron and her homeless patient) was equally silly, with what appeared to be tons of cuts that made the entire situation nigh-incomprehensible. And Foreman and Chase were practically bystanders this week. It's like they wanted to give us a Very Special Episode, but none of the writers knew how to write one (even though they've all clearly watched Dawson's Creek and after-school specials).

Makes me wonder why I was so gung-ho to get a dual-tuner Tivo, if this is the sort of crap going up against Veronica Mars.

Comments

[alladinsane.livejournal.com]

was not real thrilled with this ep either...and this was after the Shitter arc finally ended...do they seem to think that with American Idol they dont have to bother with writing good eps anymore? Hugh Laurie is incredible, but no actor can dig their way out of crappy writing no matter the talent...

[fibro-witch.livejournal.com]

So this was my feeling about House from day one.

[beldar.livejournal.com]

The whole thing smacked of "Dear Emmy voters: 'For Your Consideration'"
While it is usually a good thing to deviate from formula, they really shouldn't have bothered with this script.

House wasn't too out of character as he tends to see patient cases as problems, not people. An unwanted fetus is a problem, therefore resolve it. Did he think of the adoption option? Perhaps he did, but as he is usually in teaching mode, like with his trio of disciples, he likes leaving it up to others to come up with the answers rather than supplying them. He probably reasoned that if she were truly anti-abortion, that once she recognized that the baby was something she neither wanted nor needed, that she would bring up adoption herself. But we'll never know as this kind of internal dialogue doesn't typically show in filmed media (unless you have a voiceover, which this show doesn't).

The only good part was the various characters giving House advice, no two saying the same thing, and only indecisive Chase making sense. The Cameron subplot was emotionally manipulative crap and a waste of airtime.

They need to go back to the Conan Doyle playbook, which worked fairly well, even delving into aspects such as Holmes' addiction and giving the modern counterpart his own Moriarity. Lets see how Hound of the Baskervilles gets translated to a hospital drama.

[sinanju.livejournal.com]

If the two antagonists House has been saddled with so far are anything to go by, for god's sake don't try to create a Moriarty for him.

Rich Asshole was, well, an asshole throwing his weight around just because he could. The cop, Tritter, was...an asshole throwing his weight around just because he could. Both plots were tedious and uninteresting, and ultimately resolved in House's favor because his friends are unreasonably supportive of him despite _his_ being an asshole who throws his weight around just because he can.

And why Cuddy thinks perjuring herself will cut any ice with House beggars my imagination. If he refuses to knuckle under, what's she gonna do? Tell the judge she committed perjury? Yeah, that'll work.

The more of this show I watch, the less impressed I am with Cuddy, who seems to be blind to the realities of dealing with House. The only character who has grown on me is Cameron, who seems to be learning from House (this most recent episode aside). She isn't as aggressively hostile as House, but she's definitely taken on a harder edge than she once had, and is less willing to cut people any slack--especially if their problems are self-inflicted.

[alladinsane.livejournal.com]

Have to agree on a Moriatry...we finally escaped having a Javert in Detective Shitter....

Oh yes if Cuddy becomes your doctor, you'd better get House fast or call your undertaker...

[beldar.livejournal.com]

I sensed that the story arcs ultimately resolved in House's favor mainly because the show is called "House." Thus the universe bent over backwards to keep him more or less in his own status quo.

[laurel]

Yeah, one of the worst episodes ever.

I seem to recall that this timeslot is when I have 3-4 things I want to record. I won't give up on House 'cuz it's usually much better than that.

But isn't The Unit on at the same time? David Mamet goodness . . . yum.

[yendi]

I like Mamet, but I never got into The Unit, and with two other shows already there, I figure I can wait until syndication or a timeslot change to give it another chance.

[bobthegoat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the whole thing seemed like a series of b-storylines they had no other use for. The pile got big enough and they threw them together to make an episode.

[jasmine-koran.livejournal.com]

I loathed the Cameron subplot, but I really didn't mind the rape victim thing. The characters were still all there, and I particularly loved the opnening sequences with House paying off the patients to leave the clinic and his bet with Cuddy.

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

Makes me wonder why I was so gung-ho to get a dual-tuner Tivo, if this is the sort of crap going up against Veronica Mars.

Don't worry. There will definitely be times when you'll be really glad you have it (this just wasn't one of them).